Most public buildings require a fire alarm annunciator or visual alarm display (VAD) to be provided in an easily accessible location. The display is used for information purposes by a fireman, called to the building due to the detection of a possible fire alarm condition. The visual alarm display (hereinafter VAD) indicates critical systems information such as for example, the location of a possible fire, the failure of an HVAC (heating, ventilation, air-conditioning) component and its location, or a break in and its location, due to a burglar, the latter systems information being used by the police rather than the fire department. Heat sensors, smoke or other detectors scattered throughout large buildings are typically connected to a control panel, which can be located in a control room or security office. Some control panels are electrically coupled to a CRT video display screen which functions as the aforesaid visual alarm display VAD mentioned above, for advantageously visually indicating the geographical area layout and location and the type of alarm sensor generating the alarm condition. These types of public building alarm systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,394, issued to Walter et al., incorporated by reference herein.
The VAD, although generally required in a large public building to aid the fire or police department personal, summoned to the building during an emergency, is usually not noticed by the public visitors to the building. Although the VAD must be readily accessible to such fire and police department personnel, it is often wall mounted and off to the side, rather than being positioned in a prominent place in the lobby or entrance area.